Aspiring sports professionals are gathering in Durham on Thursday and Friday as part of the McLendon Experience.
It's inspired by the 1944 Secret Game, where Duke and NC Central played in a racially integrated basketball matchup that was illegal at the time.
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The McLendon Foundation said the game symbolized unity and the power of sports.
During Thursday morning’s session, young professionals heard from Duke University's former athletic director Kevin White.
“It's always been an honor to be around particularly this underrepresented group because we need them desperately to engage college athletics, and they'll be terrific,” White said. “They're earnestly working to prepare to be that next generation, and it's always fun to be around them."
North Carolina Central's former Athletic Director and Durham Sports Commission Board Member Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree joined White for the keynote speech.
They spoke to attendees about the changing NCAA landscape and the place for them in it.
"There are 500,000 athletes within the NCAA system at the moment and half of them, literally, are female, and it's a growing cohort of ethnic minority,” White said. “So, to have people in leadership positions that come from those same kinds of background is critical.”
“They have to define success for themselves, and so some will aspire to be athletic directors, some deputies, some coaches. It's really about how do we help them and this next generation of leaders succeed, as well as showcase Durham, North Carolina,” McCree said. "We need more practitioners in the seats again. To see this many young people, people of color, is so inspiring to me."
McCree told the group civility, mutual respect, and dignity are essential for the next generation.
"It's going to be so important that these young leaders really understand and learn how to communicate, how to actively listen, and really have and hone those empathy skills to really help our young people be successful,” she said.
The McLendon Experience is hosted at the Durham Convention Center and includes networking opportunities for attendees.